Building construction



A. MaCMlLLAN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION March 29,` 1932.

Filed Dec.

Patented Mar. 29, 1932 @ATE r ortica ABRAM .MACMILLAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Application filed December 26, 1929. Serial N0. 416,430.

This invention relates to building constructions, and its principal object is the provision of novel supporting means for the outer walls of buildings and the portions of i the floor adjacent the outer'walls. Another object is to'provide a novel arrangement of columns and licor supporting members, whereby the usual heavy footings or foundations for columns at the outer walls of buildluings are eliminated.

Another object is to provide a novel arrangement of supporting columns and floor carrying members whereby the floor adjacent the walls of the building is carried by V cantilever structures which serve to neutralize stress in the columns caused by the other floor carrying members. Another object is to provide a building construction in which the portions of the various floors adjacent 2,0; the outer Walls are supported entirely from columns disposed a considerable distance away from the outer walls, thus aording free space for receiving windows throughout the entire length and breadth of the 25, building.

W ith these and other objectsand advantages in view, this invention consists in a building construction composed of `supporting columns connected by arch structures and having` cantilever structures projectingk from the outermost columns in line with the arch structures, said arch structures andy cantilever structures forming the floor supports of the building. The invention further consists in a building construction in which the cantilever structures are employed to counteract or neutralize stress developed in the arch structures and serve to support portions of the floor beyond the outermost o columns of the building. y

The invention further consists in a building construction in which all of the supporting columns are spaced considerably yaway from the outer walls of the building and are provided with arch structures extending from column to column and with cantilever structures forming continuations of the arch structures beyond the outermost columns, said cantilever structures together with the arch structures forming the supports` for .necessity for a great amount of steel reinthe floors of the building. The invention further consists in a building construction, als above set forth, in which the columns, arch structures, cantilever structures and door comprise a monolithic reinforced con- 55 crete structure.

rlhe invention further consists in the sev-j eral novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fullyset forth.

T he invention is clearly illustrated in the drawings accompanying this specification in which- Figure l is a vertical section taken diagonally through a building construction embodying a simple form of the present invention, the line of section being indicated vat 1 1 in Fig. 2; and V y Fig. 2 is a view thereof, partly in v'plan and partlyy in horizontal section, the line of section being indicated at 2-2 in Fig. l.

This invention has reference more particularly to vreinforced concrete buildingy constructions of the character shown anddescribed in my prior application for patent' on building constructions, Serial No. 343,880, filed March 2, 1929, wherein reinforced concrete arch structures are employed between the supporting columns for' carrying the floors of the building. In a floor construction of this type, substantially all of the parts vof the Hoor and arch structures are in compressiomthereby largely eliminating the forcement. In order to reduce thesize'of the floor span between the supporting columns, the arch structures are made to run diagonally'from column to column, and, as a preference, in two directions, one at right angles to the other, and thereby intersecting each other midway between. the columns. In order tov locate the outer wall of the building at` a considerable distance beyond the outermost columns, loor carrying cantilever struc- 5 tures are provided upon the columns in the form of continuations of the arch structures,

said cantilever structures, except those at the corners of the building, also intersecting each other, as a preference, and serving to it carry that portion of the floor located beyond the outermost columns.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the reference characters 11 designate the supporting columns of the building. The supporting columns extend up from suitable footings or foundations 11a and support the entire weight of the building, although the outermost rows of columns are disposed a considerable distance away from the outer walls 10, 1()a of the building, as shown. The columns are suitably spaced apart, and because of the great load carrying properties of the arch construction of the floors, may be safely spaced from eighteen to twenty-four feet apart or thereabouts.

Extending diagonally from column to column are the arched beams 13, herein generally referred to as arches and, as a preference, certain of said arches may run in one direction and the others in a direction at right anglesA thereto, thereby intersecting each other midway between the columns, as at 14. Projecting beyond the outermost columns are cantilever arched beam structures 15 which form continuations of the arch structures 13 and, as a preference, meet or intersect each other at the outer walls of the building, as at 16. At the corners of the building, the cantilever structures 15 do not intersect with other cantilever structures, but run directly to the corners of the buildino'.

z'zlhe floors 17 of the building are carried by the arch structures 13 and cantileverstructures 15 and run to the outer walls. At the sides of the building, which face upon streets, or-other open spaces, low walls or curbs 10a are provided along the marginal edges of the floors, thereby leaving free spaces above each floor in which may be placed windows that extend throughout the entire lengthv and breadth of the building. In case one side of the building is continuous with another building, indicated at A, the outer wall 10 may extend from floor to floor and is carried by the cantilever structures 15 along that side of the building.

It will beV observed that all of the footings or foundations 11a of the building are disposed at a considerable distance away from the outer walls of the building. lVhen placed contiguous with another building, the footings for the adjacent outer wallV need only be of sufcient extent torcarrythe basement wall 10b. In order to compensate for any unevenness in the settling of the build-- ing, and to prevent any reverse action on the cantilever structure, a slight space 1S is left between the basement lwall 10b and the remainder of the structure, which space is filled with a plastic cement or other suitable material. This permits the columns and parts of the building carried thereby to settle independently of the outer basement walls.

The invention has been illustrated in connection with a monolithic reinforced concrete building construction of which metal reinforcement rods 19 and 20 are embedded in the concrete arch structures and cantilever structures to reinforce the same. The floors 17 may also be composed of concrete, and in such cases are usually reinforced by reinforcement rods 21. Reinforcement rods 22 are also employed in the supporting columns, as is customary. It will be understood that in constructing a monolithic reinforced concrete building containing the present invent-ion, suitable forms are 'employed for giving shape to the columns, iioors, arch structures, cantilever structures and walls, and that the reinforcement rods are placed in the forms and the concrete poured around them in the usual manner.

y YFrom the above it is apparent that all of the columns may be spaced away from the outer walls of the building and that the columns may be widely spaced. Because of the great load carrying properties of the arch structures and cantilever structures when arranged diagonally of the building, the size of the iioor panels is materially reduced, thereby making it possible to employ a minimum amount of metal reinforcement Jfor the concrete in the entire building. The floors being car ied by arch structures, the vertical pressure is resolved into horizontal or diagonal thrust, the action in an arch on one side of a column being neutralize,r by that in the arch on the opposite side of the column, and at the outermost rows of columns, the action is neutralized in a great measure by the action of the cantilever' structures. For this reason, any ending strain upon the column Vcaused by the outermost arches of the building is counteracted by the cantilever structures on the other sides of the columns. Consequently, on account of the neutralizing action of the cantilever structures, litt-le oi' no extra reinforcement is required to guard iinst any bending action which might other vise be occasioned by the arch structures.

'lt will also be observed that the outer walls of the building' are located at a considerable distance beyond the columns, which arrangement leaves free space for windows throughout the extent of the sides of the building. Furthe `more, all of the tootiuos or foundas are located entirely with n the confines e order-,walls of the building, and the usiul heavy rootings ordinarily provided for columns at the outer walls of the building are eliminated. 1t is to be understood that the outer walls may comprise in addition to the concrete curb 1()a at each floor, other wall portions composed of masonry, windows, or other elements for completing the losure. and that in place of the curb 10zr a reinforced beams of either constant or varying crosssection, unless otherwise limited.

I claim:

l. A monolithic building construction comprising in combination spaced floors, supporting columns arranged in repeated spaced relation between the floors and spaced inwardly from the sides of the building, floor carrying arched beam structures extending from column to column, at each floor, floor carrying cantilever structures forming continuations of said arched beam structures and projecting from the outermost columns to the sides of the building, and floors carried by said arched beam structures and said cantilever structures and extending beyond the outermost columns of the building.

2. A monolithic building construction comprising in combination spaced floors, supporting columns arranged in repeated spaced relation between the floors and spaced inwardly from the sides of the building, said columns extending from floor to floor and having vertically spaced floor carrying arched beam structures extending diagonally from column' to column, floor carrying cantilevervstructures forming continuations of said arched beam structures at each floor and projecting from the outermost columns to the sides of the building, said cantilever structures serving to neutralize the thrust of said arched beam structures, and floors carried by said arched beam structures and cantilever structures and extending beyond the outermost columns o the building.

3. A monolithic building construction comprising in combination spaced floors, supporting columns arranged in repeated spaced relation between the floors, said columns extending from floor to floor and spacedinwardly from the sides of the building, intersecting lioor carrying arched beam structures extending diagonally from column to column at each floor, floor carrying cantilever structures forming continuations of said. arched beam structures and projecting from the outermost columns to the sides of the building, said cantilever structures serving to neutralize the thrust of said arched beam structures, and floors carried by said arched beam structures and cantilever structures and extending beyond the outermost columns of the building.

a. A monolithic building construction comprising in combination spaced floors, supporting columns arranged in repeated spaced'relation between the floors, said columns extending from floor to floor and spaced inwardly from the sides of the building, intersecting floor carrying arched beam structures extending diagonally from column to column,

floor carrying cantilever structures forming continuations of said arched beam structures and projecting from the outermost columns to the sides of the building, the outer ends of said cantilever structures merging at the sides of the building, floors carried by said arched beam structures and cantilever structures and extending to the free ends of said cantilevers, and an outer wall carried upon the free ends of said cantilevers.

5. A monolithic building construction comprising in combination spaced floors, reinforced concrete supporting columns arranged in repeated spaced relation between the floors, said columns extending from floor to floor and spaced inwardly from the sides of the building, reinforced concrete floor carrying arched beam structures extending from column to column, reinforced concrete floor carrying cantilever structures forming `continuations of said arched beam structures and projecting from the outermost column to the sides of the building, and reinforced concrete floors carried by said arched beam structures and i Ycantilever structures and extending beyond the outermost columns of the building.

6. A building construction comprising la monolithic structure composed of repeated series of spaced reinforced concrete supporting columns arranged within the confines of the building and spaced inwardly from the sides thereof, intersecting reinforced concrete floor carrying arched beam structures extending diagonally from column to column, reinforced concrete floor carrying cantilever structures forming continuations of said arched beam structures and projecting from the outermost columns to the sides of the building, the outer ends of said cantilever structures merging at the sides of the building, a reinforced concrete floor carried by said arched beam structures and cantilever structures and extending beyond the outermost columns of the building, and an outer wall carried by the free ends of said cantilever structures.

7. A monolithic building construction comprising supporting columns arranged within the confines of the building and spaced inwardly from the sides thereof, arched beams extending continuously between pairs of columns at each floor, cooperating beams projecting continuously from the outermost columns to the sides of the building, and a floor carried by the arched and cooperating beams and extending beyond the outermost columns of the building.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and aflixed my seal, this 16th day of 

